Analysis: Jacob The Bus Driver

Fighting off terrorists and other bad guys; stories of heroism, self-defense, and self-sacrifice.
Jacob the Bus Driver
Jacob, now in his mid-fifties, woke up that morning as any other morning, bright and early. He had the morning route for the bus company and could not be late. The route began as it always had—familiar faces, smiles, and greetings of shalom (hello); people on their way to work or school. This was before the days where most bus stops had armed security guards; the driver was alone with his precious cargo—his passengers.
Suddenly a passenger pulled out a knife and began stabbing. It was a terrorist who tried to take over the bus. Jacob pulled the bus to a halt and was upon the terrorist in no time. He sustained cuts but disarmed the assailant.
TV crews interviewed the “hero for a day” and asked what went through his mind when he attacked the armed terrorist, wasn’t he afraid? “My military training just kicked in,” he said. “You know I was a fighter! I served in a combat unit. I came to the rescue of my passengers just as I would on the battlefield. I did not think of myself, I just reacted.” This self-sacrifice is not a conscious thought process. It is an instinct that is developed through military training and carried over into civilian life. One may take off his uniform but his military spirit remains. This is a nation of warriors.
Imagine sending your
There are Polish-speaking Jews who fought the Nazis and held out for longer than the entire Polish army. There are French-speaking Jews who sabotaged Nazi war efforts and blew up their trains and railroads. There are English speakers, veterans of World War Two, who came to Israel to volunteer and helped form the Israeli air force. There are Russian speakers who served for years in the Russian military. There are Amharic speakers from Ethiopia, serving in elite combat